Meeting the parents
by RodeRozen
Summary: Harry learns how to summon his parents. After a few sessions, he introduces his lover. It doesn't quite go according to plan.


P"I'm going to the basement, love!" Harry called. "Don't forget I expect you in about fifteen minutes."

"I won't, but how do I get this bloody thing to sleep?!" his husband shouted from upstairs. Harry chuckled to himself, absently running a hand over his ritual robe. Careful not to trip over the hem, he slowly went down the stairs, entering the magically isolated room they'd designed for this purpose. He took off his slippers by the door, entering the room on bare feet. With a flick of his hand, he'd conjured a small ribbon, which he used to tie back his long hair.  
Kneeling down on the floor, Harry began the ritual to summon his parents. As he spoke the last incantation, he slowly drew a line with his wand, going from the ground up to the highest point of the room, for which he had to levitate his wand.  
He let it fall back into his hand as his parents appeared, looking exactly as they had on the day they died. They weren't quite ghosts, but not quite solid either. They'd told him that, while they could touch things and interact with the physical world, it took a lot of concentration.  
"Hi Mum, hi Dad," Harry said, grinning nervously.  
"Harry," his mum said, smiling softly. "It's good to see you."  
"It always is," his dad agreed. "Heard from Moony lately?"  
Harry chuckled.  
"He was actually supposed to babysit Nisang tonight, but he came down with a cold." Upon seeing his dad's eyes widen, he hastened to add:  
"Nothing serious, really! Sirius is having an excellent time playing nursemaid."  
"James," his mum said. "I'm sure Harry would tell us if it were serious. Now, dear, why did Remus have to babysit? You know we love seeing little Nisang."  
Sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, Harry admitted:  
"I was hoping to introduce you to my husband tonight, which I think is better done without a baby present. He should be here in a moment, though, once Nisang's asleep."  
His dad pouted.  
"Why won't you tell us who it is?"  
Harry sighed. He had told his parents most of the truth, but he'd carefully omitted any mention of his husband, unsure how to break the news.  
"Because I couldn't hope to explain it properly. Probing at the bond inside his mind, Harry was concerned to note he couldn't feel his husband. He hid it, though.  
They chatted while they waited, but Harry was becoming more and more jittery as time went on.  
"Harry, darling, are you okay?" his mum asked, clearly having noticed.  
"Surely it can't be that bad?" his dad offered.  
Harry chuckled darkly. Oh yes, it was definitely that bad.  
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.  
"Come in," Harry said, turning around. The door opened, revealing his husband.  
Harry paled, jumping to his feet and grabbing his wand.  
"You're joking, right?" his mum asked.  
"Of course he's joking, that's obviously a glamour!" his dad feebly said, but he didn't sound fully convinced.  
Harry narrowed his eyes.  
"What. The. Fuck?" he demanded, levelling his wand at his moron of a husband.  
"Really, love, I can explain," he said.  
"DRESSING UP AS VOLDEMORT IS NOT FUNNY, YOU IDIOT! TAKE THAT GLAMOUR OFF RIGHT NOW!"  
"So it is a glamour?" his mum asked.  
"Who are you, then?" his dad added.  
Harry grabbed his husband's arm and pulled him inside, noting with some alarm that he didn't feel the tingle of a glamour.  
"Tom," he softly said. "Are you or are you not wearing a glamour?"  
"As I was trying to say, I am not wearing a glamour. It seems our child is a lot more powerful than even we could have imagined."  
Harry groaned. "You can't be serious."  
"We were looking through our old photo albums, you know, when we first got together, and Nisang decided it would be a nice idea to have me revert back to this form."  
"Really? What deity have we pissed off in a previous life?"  
Tom shrugged.  
"I'm sure there's a relatively easy way to turn me back. I'll have to consult the library in the Chamber, but…"  
"And what of your official functions?" Harry demanded. "Are you going to attend them like this?"  
Tom cringed.  
"Maybe not. We'll have to come up with something. But for now, weren't you going to introduce me to your parents?"  
Harry turned around, noting with some alarm that his parents didn't look so good.  
"Uh, mum, dad? Allow me to introduce my husband of nine years, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Or, as you might know him, the Dark Lord Voldemort."  
Tom bowed.  
"Pleased to meet you again," he said awkwardly. Harry facepalmed. While his dad was gaping like a fish, his mum stormed forward, face as red as her hair in fury.  
"You asshole! First you murder us and try to murder my baby, and now you're married to him and you say 'pleased to meet you again'?! Are you for motherfucking real? Also, what love potion did you use on my Harry?"  
Tom paled, stepping backwards. Harry sighed. He was going to have a headache tomorrow. Squeezing Tom's hand in support, Harry faced his irate mother.  
"Mum! Tom didn't dose me with anything, and what would you have him say instead? 'I'm sorry'? Like that would ever be adequate!"  
He twisted so he was facing Tom, who looked very much out of his depth.  
Wandlessly levitating himself, Harry pressed a gentle kiss to his husband's lips, murmuring:  
"I forgive you, but they don't know you. You murdered them, Tom. It's not okay and no number of apologies will make up for it. But I love you anyway, and with time they'll accept you too."  
"You're right, I know you're right," Tom murmured back. Harry pretended not to notice the tear falling from Tom's eye onto his nose. "But it hurts."  
"I know," Harry said, carding a hand through Tom's hair. Both of them were unprepared for an angry spirit to shoot between them, causing them to fall to the ground.  
"Get away from Harry!" his dad shouted. Fury flickered in Harry's eyes, and he drew himself up to his full height.  
"If you ever do something like that again, I swear I will banish you into a toilet bowl until you've learned your lesson!"  
His dad quickly sped away, glaring at Tom all the while.  
Harry's eyes softened.  
"I think you both might need some time to process this. How about I call you again, say, a week from now?"  
"I think that'll be okay," Lily said, looking shaken. "Come, James."  
After awkwardly saying his goodbyes, Harry ended the connection, immediately turning back to Tom.  
"Are you okay, love?"  
Tom shrugged.  
"I didn't think it would hurt this much." His voice cracked. "For what it's worth, I truly am sorry."  
Harry walked forward, embracing him.  
"I know, love." Tom buried his head in the crook of Harry's neck, and Harry could feel tears spilling onto his shoulder.  
After a while, they straightened up, Tom pointedly looking anywhere but at Harry, who gently took his hand, entwining their fingers.  
"Shall we go back upstairs?"  
Tom squeezed his hand, smiling tremulously.  
"Okay."


End file.
